Tea brewing with loose tea leaves typically requires a strainer that prevents the tea leaves and tea leaf particles from getting into the brewed tea drink. The strainer is typically a container that can be opened to receive the loose tea, closed, and then submerged in hot water, such that hot water can flow through the container and brewed tea can flow out, while the tea leaves and tea leaf particles are trapped in the container. Such a container is often referred to as a tea infuser. It is known to combine the tea infuser with a travel cup, utilizing a tea infuser that is located in the underside of the travel cup lid. The travel cup is filled with hot water such that the tea infuser portion of the lid underside is submerged in the hot water. Thus, the tea is brewed when the lid is closed onto the cup. Such infusers are continuously submerged in the tea drink; a practice that many tea drinkers claim imparts bitterness to the tea drink after several minutes.